IIC MENA Chapter meeting – Challenges and Opportunities Presented by Digitalization

Bio coming soon…

Bio coming soon…

Dr. Abdelwahab is a full professor of computer engineering, Electronics Research Institute (ERI), Egypt. He received his Ph.D. in 1992, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University in Machine Learning and Evolutionary Algorithms. He has published over 70 research papers in National and International Journals and Conferences, participated in many applied research projects, and was a lecturer of Computer Science in Egyptian and American universities.

Member of the Egyptian E-government Initiative, 2001 managing ERP, and ICT4D projects. In July 2004 he was appointed as the Senior Advisor to the Minister of Administrative Development (MSAD), and in August 2006, he was appointed as the Deputy to the Minister, responsible of supervising, monitoring, and coordinating E-government and organizational development initiatives. In addition, Dr. Ashraf was leading an coordinating the Ministry’s relations with international organizations (UNDP, OECD, EU and WB).

In March 2011- August 2012, he was appointed as Acting Minister, MSAD. He Supervised the implementation of many national projects: Government procurement portal, Egyptian Government Services portal, Government Family Database, Courts Automation, and the National Elections Services (Received the UN Public Service Award, Government Procurement Portal, July 2011, National Elections Services, Government Services delivery category, in June 2012).

Joined Microsoft in December 2012 as the Corporate Affairs Manager, Egypt & North Africa, then moved in 2014 to Dubai as the Corporate Affairs Director for Egypt and Gulf. In July 2016, he moved to Microsoft 4Afrika initiative as CTO, and then the Industries Lead, supporting Digital Transformation in Financial, Agricultural and Public sectors till September 2018.

Starting January 2019, Dr. Abdelwahab has joined SAP as the Digital Transformation Director, Public Sector, Egypt

Dr. Abdelwahab is a member of several academic committees, speaker in different fora around: AI, Digital Transformation, and ICT related organizational development.

Ayman Nour is a Partner, heading the Corporate Structuring department in the Egypt office. He is also a member of the Education, Healthcare, Sports & Event Management and Hotel & Leisure sector groups.

Ayman specialises in corporate structuring, restructuring, governance, compliance, as well as FDI. He is also well experienced in general corporate, labor and civil matters alongside TMT and employment. He represents local and multinational corporations and institutions, many of which are entities listed on NYSE or the Egyptian Exchange and/or on the Global 100 List.  Ayman has been recognized by Legal 500 as a leading individual in Employment for 2019 and 2020.

Prior to becoming a Partner in the Firm, Ayman was a partner associated with a British law firm, from 2003 to 2010. Between 1995 and 2003 Ayman worked for two intermittent periods with Baker & McKenzie in Cairo for five years. Between such periods, he worked as an Assistant District Attorney with the Egyptian Public Prosecutor Office from 1997 to 2000.

Dr Bharat Vagadia joined Ooredoo Group in 2017 as senior director regulatory affairs with oversight across the ten operations across MENA and South Asia. Prior to joining the group, he was with Ooredoo Qatar. He brings with him over twenty-five years’ experience in TMT policy, regulation and strategy and wealth of experience as a management consultant, having advised over fifty clients in over twenty-five countries, across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, including governments, regulatory authorities, multinationals, high growth start-ups, as well as investment funds. He has during his career, helped with sector liberalization, creation of licensing frameworks and the broader development of regulatory environments that foster competition and long-term consumer welfare.

Dr Vagadia is the author of four books, the latest being Digital Disruption.

Dr Vagadia holds a PhD, MBA, LLM, B-Eng, DipM. He sits on the board of Ooredoo Myanmar, is chair of GSMA AsiaPac policy group and member of the MENA policy group.

David Yates leads the regional Digital & Data practice at Al Tamimi & Company.

Deborah joined IIC in 2024 as Director Operations and Communications and brings a wealth of experience to the team.

Her career spans various sectors and institutions where she delivered exceptional results in event management, people management, project management, and negotiation. Her most recent role was leading the Engagement & Community Development Team as Director in the construction training and contract management software sector, where she played a pivotal role in implementing new working practices and training programmes.

With a strong background in business development, Deborah is known for her exceptional attention to detail and highly organised approach.

Bio coming soon…

For almost 20 years, Ebtehal Basiouny has been working in the field of public policy, government engagement and international development. She worked with Government, International Organizations and Corporates in Egypt and the region on policy design and implementation, stakeholders’ engagement, development cooperation, public sector reform, e-government and innovation. Her focus has been to create alliances and partnerships, influence policies, instill change, achieve impact and contribute positively to reform and sustainable development. Ebtehal is currently the Director of Government Affairs at Microsoft Egypt, shaping the company’s local technology and sustainability policy agenda to address regulatory, policy and business priorities, especially on AI. She is also the co-chair of the Legal Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt. Ebtehal is a PhD candidate of Public Policy and Practice at the University of Bath in the UK, holds a Master of Public Administration from Dubai School of Government in cooperation with Harvard Kennedy School and a graduate of Political Science from Cairo University.

Eslam Aboudonia is a seasoned professional with demonstrated history of 16 years working in the international relations, government engagement and public policy fields. He has worked across government, consultancy, international organizations, and corporates, excelling in designing and implementing robust public policies, developing engagement strategies, leading policy advocacy campaigns, and building sustainable partnerships in Egypt and the broader region. Currently leading regulatory affairs and policy advocacy at Ericsson Egypt, Eslam focuses on advancing transformational connectivity and enabling inclusive green growth. Eslam hold a bachelor’s degree in political science from Cairo University and an MA in International Social Policy from the University of Nottingham, UK.

Francesco Paolo Di Gregorio, Director Advocacy & Policy, in Ooredoo Qatar and Chairman of the IIC MENA Chapter Committee on Digital Economy and Regulatory Modernization, has over 20 years’ experience in the electronic communications’ sector. He has  a strong legal and regulatory background worldwide having worked in various positions for Telecom Italia (in Italy, in Belgium and in the Americas) for the Qatari Communications Regulatory Authority and for Ooredoo (in Qatar). Much of his work focuses on formulating policies and legislative agendas bringing together the interests of the private and public sectors, the business and the regulation, the future and the present to the benefit of the whole society.

Francesco Paolo Di Gregorio is a qualified Italian lawyer. He holds a master’s degree in law from LUISS University in Rome (Italy), a master in mobile communications from Federico II University in Naples (Italy) and an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) from RSM – Erasmus University in Rotterdam (the Netherlands).

Hossam Ragheb is a seasoned digital transformation leader, with over 30 years of experience driving innovation and growth in both public and private sectors. He has held executive and advisory roles at global organisations such as IBM, Oracle, Vodafone and Ernst & Young.

Currently serving as a Digital Transformation Expert for the Arab region at the ITU, Hossam has a proven track record in implementing large-scale digital initiatives, including e-government projects and performance improvement programs. His in-depth and up to date understanding of technology trends, and his ability to translate complex technical concepts into actionable business strategies, have made him a sought-after advisor to governments and organizations across the region.

Bio coming soon…

Menna is Legal Manager at PwC Middle East, where she leads the legal operations for PwC Egypt and PwC ETIC. ETIC is a rapidly expanding technology services hub supporting the Middle East, UK, Germany, and the Netherlands. With a decade of experience as a telecom lawyer, Menna has worked at Telecom Egypt and Orange, gaining extensive expertise in navigating complex Telecom legal and regulatory landscapes. Academically, Menna holds a master’s degree in international and comparative law from the AUC. Menna’s research focused on integrating Internet Neutrality principles into Egypt’s Telecom. regulatory framework, exploring their impact from a consumer welfare perspective.

Suzanne El Akabaoui is currently the Advisor to the ICT Minister for Data Governance, a role that showcases her expertise and influence in data protection policies and privacy regulations. As an Advisor to the ICT Minister for Data Governance, Suzanne is mandated with taking part in building the regulatory framework for personal data protection, privacy and personal data security in line with Egypt 2030 Vision and digital transformation projects on a national scale.

Suzanne is a leading expert in her field. A highly accomplished attorney with a diverse background in the legal, business, and data privacy fields, and extensive experience in commercial, corporate, technology, and data privacy laws.

Suzanne’s journey in the legal world evolved with attaining her Law Degree from the esteemed Sorbonne Paris University. She showcased her dedication to the field by completing the undergraduate law program, and pursued a Master’s in Business Law which solidified her foundation in this crucial aspect within the legal domain.

In parallel to her legal studies, she ventured into the realm of economics and received her Bachelor’s degree from the prestigious Faculty of Economics and Political Science from the Cairo University in Egypt with both a Major in Economics, and a minor in Statistics.

Eager to expand her knowledge in the economics field, Suzanne pursued yet another Certificate in Economics from the International Institute for Political and Economic Studies (Georgetown University). This additional qualification further enriched her ability to offer valuable insights within her legal practice, bridging the gap between law and business.

Recognizing the growing importance of data privacy in the modern world, Suzanne obtained a Certificate in Data: Law, Policy, and Regulations from the prestigious London School of Economics. This certification further highlights her commitment to staying at the forefront of data law, policy, and regulations.

In her professional career, Suzanne has advised many multinational clients on crucial aspects of personal data protection rights, including Data Sharing Agreements, Data Processing Agreements, GDPR compliance, and the requirements of Egyptian Personal Data Protection Law and Cyber-Security Laws.

With her extensive expertise, and her recent appointment as the Personal Data Protection Center Chief Executive Officer, Suzanne keen to make significant contributions to the field of personal data protection and privacy compliance. Her dedication to advancing personal data governance and her unwavering commitment to legal and business excellence make her a leading figure in her field, driving progress and innovation in an ever-evolving digital world.

Bio coming soon…